The Gist - The Washington Football Team Should Move

On the Gist, Trump at Mount Rushmore.

In the interview, making a strong case for reparations among descendants of enslaved African Americans is economist William Darity, Jr in his new book, From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the Twenty-First Century. Darity suggests that that in order to close the racial wealth disparities, America must confront injustices and offer a detailed fiscal plan for providing financial gifts to Black Americans to aid their economic well-being.

In the spiel, renaming a football team.

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Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley.

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The Gist - Define the Police

On the Gist, the greatness that will remain long after we’re gone.

In the interview, we present part two of Mike’s conversation with John McWhorter on the linguistics of race, defining ‘Defund the Police,’ and how words we use today will morph over time. WcWhorter is the host of Lexicon Valley and a professor at Columbia University. Find his most recent piece in the Atlantic: “The Dictionary Definition of Racism Has to Change.”

In the spiel, historical truths versus myths.

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Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley.

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The Gist - Redefining Racism

On the Gist, the McCloskeys in Missouri.

In the first part of this two-part interview, John McWhorter is here to dig into definitions with Mike. They discuss how the meanings of racism and white supremacy have changed over the years, and what that says about the ways culture is shifting. McWhorter is the host of Lexicon Valley, and his latest piece is “The Dictionary Definition of Racism Has to Change,” in the Atlantic.

In the spiel, a professional bullshit artist.

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Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley.

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The Gist - See No Evil, Hear No Evil

On the Gist, there is no question these men needed to breathe.

In the interview, Maria Konnikova is back for “Is That Bullshit?” She and Mike discuss the scientific preprints published on Covid-19 and call out the credible and those rife with misinformation. How can you trust them? Maria’s newest book called The Biggest Bluff, is already a New York Times bestseller.

In the spiel, how Trump consumes news.

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Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley.

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The Gist - The Never-Ending Trump

On the Gist, paying the Taliban and not believing the New York Times.

In the interview, the around-the-clock news cycle turns 40 years old this summer. With the advent of cable television and a bright idea from an American media mogul, CNN was born. Journalist and author, Lisa Napoli, talks with Mike about her unauthorized biography, Up All Night: Ted Turner, CNN, and the Birth of 24-Hour News, and explains how the station became a trailblazing force in transforming the ways we consumed media at the end of the 20th century.  

In the spiel, Trump is the worst. But he’s not gone yet.

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Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley.

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The Gist - Splashing Down on a Mountain of Racism

On the Gist, Disney’s Splash Mountain.

In part two of their interview, Mike continues to talk with Matthew Barge about the failure of police departments to gather data and statistics that would help create and enforce meaningful policing policy change. Barge is a lawyer, a principal consultant with 21CP Solutions, and federal court-appointed monitor overseeing federal consent decrees in Cleveland, Ohio and Baltimore, Maryland.

In the spiel, the Lobstar of the Antentwig

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Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley.

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The Gist - Playing With a Viral Yo-Yo

On the Gist, Biden is in the lead.

In the first part of a two-part interview, Mike talks with police practices and civil rights expert Matthew Barge about how policy has failed to change how law enforcement agencies police communities, how police unions have played a huge role in where we find ourselves now, and what role consent decrees play in changing police behavior. Barge is a lawyer, a principal consultant with 21CP Solutions, and federal court-appointed monitor overseeing federal consent decrees in Cleveland, Ohio and Baltimore, Maryland. 

In the spiel, the Covid-19 yo-yo.

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Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley.

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The Gist - The Mechanisms in Place

On the Gist, interruption by ring knocking.

In the interview, Mike is joined by Lawrence Douglas, author of Will He Go?: Trump and the Looming Election Meltdown in 2020, a page-turning book of what-ifs and premonitions of constitutional chaos if Trump decides to give America a hard time at the end of his term. Douglas is the James J. Grosfeld Professor of Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought at Amherst College. He is the prize-winning author of seven books, most recently The Right Wrong Man: John Demjanjuk and the Last Great Nazi War Crimes Trial.

In the spiel, undeniable progress.

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Podcast production by Margaret Kelley, Daniel Schroeder and Joel Patterson.

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The Gist - Unbiased News

On the Gist, refocusing our attention to local democracy.

In the interview, Mike talks with Seth Stevenson, author of Grounded: A Down to Earth Journey Around the World and host of Slate’s newest business podcast Thrilling Tales of Modern Capitalism. Seth’s new podcast delves into the backstories of iconic brand, from Purell to Victoria’s Secret, and he joins Mike to talk about Carnival Cruises, one of the biggest players in an industry that jumps from one disaster to another. And yes, the expression “poop cruise” is mentioned.

In the spiel, objectivity as a punching bag.

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Podcast production by Margaret Kelley, Daniel Schroeder and Joel Patterson.

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The Gist - Crowd Size and Political Viability

On the Gist, lack of humor in the Trump administration.

In the interview, Mike talks with Maria Konnikova, star of our bi-weekly segment “Is That Bullshit?” This time, however, Maria is here to discuss her newest book about becoming a professional poker player. Already a New York Times bestseller, it’s called The Biggest Bluff.

In the spiel, “yuge” crowd psychology.

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Podcast production by Margaret Kelley, Daniel Schroeder and Joel Patterson.

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